


Five Tiny Kisses

by Etrangere



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Tinny's very straight, Vignette, crushing on your cousin, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 14:36:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17061611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etrangere/pseuds/Etrangere
Summary: A study of Tinny's relationship with five girls.





	Five Tiny Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to dameceles for betaing.

**Ishtar**

“The Prince wants to see me again!” Ishtar had said, with a triumphal twirl. “Oh! What shall I do? What shall I wear?”

And Tinny had helped, swept around in Ishtar’s excitement. She found the Prince foreboding, but her bold cousin wasn’t intimidated. The Goddess of Thunder was afraid of nothing. She was majestic and daring and striking, and of course Prince Julius would like her and recognize her beauty and power akin to his own. Of course.

Tinny was Ishtar’s favourite confidante, so she heard it all. Never mind that thoughts of Prince Julius made her shudder. Never mind that thought of them together always left her chest tighten oddly. She had listened in rapt attention as Ishtar had anticipated and worried and planned every steps of her dazzling romance.

“I wonder what it will be like to kiss him. I know he will, soon. Oh, it needs to be perfect. Maybe I should practice...” She had narrowed her eyes on Tinny and smiled a little roguishly and had leaned over.

_Oh!_

It had been sloppy and warm and soft, and Tinny had felt goosebumps and pins and needles all through her body.

Then it was over and, moving backward Ishtar had giggled. “Oh, well! It’ll be very different with him, I’m sure. Much more intense and wonderful!”

And Tinny had lowered her eyes, feeling the sparkling warmth on her cheeks.

 

**Fee**

“Are you sure you don’t want to go up for a round? Everyone else did,” Fee had offered.

Tinny had shaken her head shyly.

“I promise you, Mahnya is very sweet and she’s never dropped a passenger before, not even Arthur!” Fee had laughed.

Tinny had gasped a little at that. Not able to help the sudden panic at the thought of her brother falling to his death before he even got to reach her, all the way from Silesse to Leonster.

“Of course not,” Arthur had shot back, not even raising his eyes from the magical tome he was studying, with that little twist of the lips he had when Fee was around, “Mahnya, unlike her mistress, is very well behaved and mindful of her passenger.” He had turned his eyes on Tinny, with a warmth that made her feel glad. “You should try it, Tinny. The view from the sky is unique. Even on up on mountains, you don’t see things quite like this.”

The truth was Tinny didn’t much like Fee. She felt a little bit bad about it, but Fee was rough and loud and shameless in a way that made her uncomfortable. And she was always yelling and snapping at Arthur like she was angry at him, which made Tinny a little bit mad, although Arthur had told her to let it go the one time she had tried to talk to her about it.

It was a few days after that conversation that she’d seen Arthur and Fee in the shadows of the stable, as she was bringing back water for the daily chores, close to one another, their silhouette merging into one as they kissed.

She’d felt cold all over, and had almost dropped the bucket, but held it tight instead, her fingers clinging icily.

 

**Patty**

“You should marry Prince Sety,” Patty said. “He’s making moon eyes at you again. It’s kind of sweet. He’s quite a catch too, and pretty handsome if you like them earnest.”

“Oh, you’re imagining things, Patty. Stop it!” Tinny laughed. She knew she should be a little bit wary of Patty – the girl was a thief! – but she never could hold to it. Patty was lively and cheerful in a way that always made Tinny laugh and reminded her of the peasant girls she used to give alms to and chat with in the Leonster countryside.

“I swear I’m not! I wish my prince was gazing at me this intensely!” Patty made a face. “Maybe I should shift target. Prince Shanan is soooo handsome but he’s playing hard to get. I’d like to be Queen of Isaac, but maybe I should settle for a dukedom instead.” She grinned. “So what about you, do you fancy yourself the Queen of Silesse?”

“Of course not!” What would she do in Silesse? It was a cold, faraway country of fairytales. She’d been born there, she knew only because her brother had told her. She remembered little of it, but her mother’s oddly cheerful songs by the window, and maybe, sometimes, a hand in her own, helping her walk in the snow. Nothing of that was connected to the country from which the hero of Manster hailed, from the land of wise and stern Lord Lewyn, and from which warlike Pegasus knights came from. Arthur had grown up there, though, she knew, and wanted to go back there after the war.

“Although...” She said, in a lower voice, “Prince Sety is kind.” She knew he was. Brave and selfless, that had been clear from all the hostages they had liberated thanks to his help, but also because he had been gentle and courteous with her. He had talked earnestly – almost awkwardly with her – a little less smoothly spoken than Prince Seliph, but without that brusque passion that Prince Leif had with him.

“Oh, it sounds like you’re taken with him alright!” Patty grinned, and bumped her shoulder against Tinny’s. “You should talk to him! I bet he’d love that! And maybe a kiss!” She chuckled cheekily while Tinny blushed. “Oh boy! I better try harder to find myself a man before all the good ones are taken!”

“I’m certain you’ll find someone,” Tinny said piously.

Sety was kind, she reminded herself; much like her brother was kind. Perhaps cold, faraway Silesse would not be too harsh, if it bred such kindness.

 

**Altenna**

Tinny wasn’t quite sure how she’d found the courage to sneak out and follow after the Thracian princess’ departure. Things had been awkward at dinner, despite Prince Leif and Sir Finn’s warm welcome and Prince Seliph’s usual wide ranging courtesy. Tinny had noticed Princess Altena recoil and look sad after stray comments. She had taken her leave quickly, having barely touched her plate, and vanished into the night. And impulsively, Tinny had made an excuse and walked after her.

Until a few days ago, Princess Altenna had been the beloved princess of Thracia; and now she was her foster father’s sworn enemy’s dear, lost sister. It had to be disconcerting. Tinny knew that her own situation was not comparable – after all her uncle had never lied to her about who she was, and for a few, precious years, she had been lucky enough to have known her own mother. But, a little bit, she knew how it felt to be split apart between the loved ones once lost and found again and those you had grown to care about all through your childhood.

The wyvern was a bit farther from the camp, on a rocky area, kept away from the horses for they easily took fright from them; and that was where Princess Altenna had gone, cutting a brooding silhouette against the dark mass of the scaled creature under the moonlight.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” She called out brusquely, straightening back, and Tinny left a soft gasp.

“I... I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to surprise you...”

“Oh, it’s you,” the Thracian princess relaxed. “You should be more careful not to stray from the camp. We are at war after all.”

“Yes, of course. But you... you’re here...”

Altenna smiled. “I have grown up in those mountains. I know them like the back of my hand. There is nothing here for me to fear.”

Tinny curtsied, gathering her shaky resolve. “I only meant... you’re sad. I just wanted to say that I... I understand your sadness. I was sad too when my Uncle Blume died. Even though he was not... a very good man... he’d been kind to me.”

“Oh... of course... you’re Blume’s niece... I hadn’t thought...”

Tinny looked to the side. “I am relieved, a little bit... that I’m not entirely alone... to mourn... and to worry... my cousin Ishtar... I love her dearly; she’s with Prince Julius now, just like your stepbrother Aeron is. I hope you don’t hold it against me, to be so selfish as to be relieved of your sadness.”

Altenna laughed. “Of course not! Thank you. Your words bring me comfort. I also am glad that I am not entirely alone in this. You are very kind and lovely to think of me.”

Tinny smiled, gladdened. And despite the chill of the night, felt warmth settle on her face. “If you ever want to talk about being sad, I will always be here to listen,” She said.

Altenna shook her head. “I only wish... no never mind. Say, Lady Tinny, have you ever flown on a wyvern before?”

Tinny shook her head mutely.

The princess bowed and held her hand. “Then, shall I take you for a ride? The mountains are very lovely when seen from the sky.”

“I... all right! All right! I’d love to!” Tinny said boldly, surprising herself. But the answering smile on Altenna’s face was worth the trepidation.

The night sky was chilly and dark, but tightly pressed against the back of Princess Altenna, Tinny found that the kiss of the wind in her hair was not cold at all.

 

**Julia**

Tinny had never had much to say to Julia. If Tinny was shy, then Julia was a shadow, even sadder and quieter than Tinny had ever been at her most terrified. Besides Prince Seliph, only Lana had ever been able to get more than two words out of Julia; and although Tinny loved Lana dearly, she hadn’t put in the effort that Lana had encouraged into talking with Julia.

But now it turned out that Julia was Princess Julia, the long disappeared daughter of the Emperor, the sister to Seliph and Tinny-

It was all very upsetting. They had won, but many lives had been lost on the field of battle. Despite all of Tinny’s attempts, she had failed to persuade her cousin Ishtar to desist fighting, and the Goddess of Thunder had fallen, seized between the ice of Forseti and the bloodcraving demon sword of Lord Aless. She had wept for it, and neither her brother’s tight grip nor Prince Sety’s halted condolences had made her feel better. She should have foreseen it, especially once they had killed Queen Hilda and Tinny could not feel sorry for that, could not regret the death of that brutal woman the way she regretted the army of liberation cutting Ishtore and his sweetheart down in their advance, nor even the way she felt sad about Uncle Blume’s sorry death at the hands of Patty’s brother and Arthur. Of course bold Ishtar would fight to the end. Of course Tinny’s words would not be enough to put in the balance against all those deaths.

Julia, too, had lost a lot of people. People she hadn’t remembered until a few days ago, but people who were family and dear to her. To lose and win people like this at the same time, how upsetting had it to be?

When Julia had appeared on the battlefield, red eyed and terrifying, a wane wraith with no sign of soul, Tinny had held the Silence Staff that she knew had once belonged to Empress Deirdre tightly, hoping to spare more tears and tragedy. She’d had to put in it all of her power and all of her will, to hope to slow down Julia’s considerable mystical might; not only once but three times, until the staff broke down in her hands and she’d fallen to her knees, exhausted and despairing. Yet that last cast had been enough for Lord Seliph to return with Naga’s Circlet and Julia’s salvation, and Tinny had been so glad to have done her part to reunite the siblings.

She didn’t remember much from Empress Deirdre, but she’d always looked back to her as someone inspiring. There’d been a large portrait, in the Royal Palace, that she remembered being fascinated with, the few times when she’d had to opportunity to attend the Belhalla court. Once, the Emperor had caught her staring at it, away from the crowd, and she’d been scared he would tell her off for it, but he hadn’t. He’d been a stern, curt man, but the few times they had talked, he’d been gentle with her and looked sad, she remembered.

“Child.” He’d said, calling her over “You’re the daughter of...”

She’d curtsied, “I am Lady Tiltyu of Freeges’ daughter, if it pleases Your Grace.”

“Ah yes,” He’d narrowed his eyes, “Of course. You do have their look.” And he’d kept on watching her, making her even more nervous.

“But you have his eyes. Run along now, child.” And she’d fled the room, not daring to answer back with questions.

Nobody among the Freeges did like to talk about her father. Even her mother hadn’t dared to mention him much, in the years they had had. Most often, Tinny forgot that she was related to the Velthomer.

To Princess Julia.

Tinny walked a few steps towards her. She was sitting to the side, with a sad half smile on her face, as everyone was saluting formally Prince Seliph. She looked very lonely and sorrowful, and Tinny felt pained about it.

“Ah, Princess Julia... I hope it is not too forward of me to say... I wish to give you my condolences, for the death of your brother and father.”

“Oh,” Julia said, eyes widening in surprise.

Tinny carried on. “And I know it’s not the same, but just a little bit... I am happy that I have not lost all of my cousins, that at least we have each others.” She felt herself blush as she said that, afraid of seeming presumptuous.

And felt her breath tightened when Julia’s eyes filled with tears, which she crushed with her pale hand. “Thank you, Tinny. I’m sorry. I am glad too,” Julia said, “I hadn’t thought about it until now, thank you.” And Tinny felt rekindled, that she hadn’t said the wrong words, after all.

They kept their hands fastened to one another for the rest of the ceremony, as they watched everyone leave to the four corners of the world.

This was the new world they were building: out of loss, new ties and kinships, like a blessing of light kissing the brow of the sky with dawn.


End file.
